Community holds moment of silence one week after Buffalo clinic shooting

BUFFALO, Minn. (FOX 9) - Tuesday marked one week since the deadly shooting at the Allina Health clinic in Buffalo, Minnesota.  

While the attack left the community shocked and saddened, they're finding ways to come together and show their strength in the face of tragedy. When Buffalo stood silent at 11 a.m. and asked all to join in, a single police officer paused at the barricades outside Allina Crossroads Clinic.

Minutes later, Sabrina Wilcox brought a giant teddy bear to add to the memorial there. A Buffalo native and patient of the clinic, Wilcox remains tied to the town even though she now lives in Monticello.

"I just wanted everybody to know that we’re thinking of them," she said. "I still have that purple light on. I still have purple clothes on. I still said no matter where you are, please light up that purple light."

The purple porch lights began glowing Monday night, set to continue all through Tuesday. On social media, many posted pictures of themselves wearing purple, including the staff at Buffalo’s Wise Penny thrift shop.

"It doesn’t surprise me that there’s this huge outpouring of support today, and that makes me really proud to be a Buffalonian," said Brittany McFadden, manager of the shop.

Brittany set an alarm on her phone to make sure the distractions of running the store didn’t cause them to miss the moment of silence.

"This is a way to help those that are affected know that we’re still thinking about this, and we will be for a while," she said.

Allina Health asked everyone to share their moment and their day on social media. Posts poured in, including from healthcare systems across the state - Grand Itasca, St. Francis Regional, Twin Cities Orthopedics, just to name a few.

Much more is planned in the upcoming days, including a breakfast benefit at a local restaurant. The owners of Gather will open Sunday from 8 a.m. to noon to sell breakfast biscuits, with all proceeds going to help victims.